EFFECT OF GLUCOSE ON THE RESPIRATORY BURST OF CIRCULATING NEUTROPHILSFROM ASTHMATICS

The respiratory burst is dependent on a source of glucose. We wished t o investigate the effect of glucose on the superoxide production of ci rculating neutrophils. Superoxide production of neutrophils was signif icantly enhanced by glucose concentration of from 1 to 50 mmole/liter in the medium. The neutrophils from asthmatics in both the acute and r emission phases showed greater production of superoxide than those of controls. When the neutrophils were made to undergo the respiratory bu rst, initially in the absence of glucose, and thereafter in the presen ce of 5 and 20 mmole/liter glucose, the rate of superoxide formation w ith higher glucose medium was decreased in the control cells but signi ficantly increased in the cells of the acute asthmatics in remission. It is concluded that glucose as an energy source is potentially critic al in determining the rate of the respiratory burst and that the neutr ophils from asthmatic subjects in some way have an enhanced uptake or metabolism of this substrate. Glycemic status may then have some role in determining the amount of superoxide production, and therefore airw ay inflammation, in asthma. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.